The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) invitesapplications for a Research Associate in Global Justice and GlobalCatastrophic Risk.

This postdoctoral position has four years of funding. The ResearchAssociate will work on some of the most important topics in the worldtoday, will produce ground-breaking and fascinating research, be partof a supportive and collaborative team, and will achieve real impactwith their insights.

Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

CSER is an interdisciplinary research centre within the University ofCambridge dedicated to the study and mitigation of risks that couldlead to human extinction or civilisational collapse.

The Centre was founded by Lord Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal;Jaan Tallinn, the co-founder of Skype; and Huw Price, the BertrandRussell Professor of Philosophy, to “steer a small fraction ofCambridge's great intellectual resources to the task of ensuring thatour own species has a long-term future.” As Lord Rees says, “ourcentury is special, because for the first time in 45 millioncenturies, one species holds the future of the planet in its hands –us.”

Our research focuses on how to manage extreme risks, includingbiological risks, environmental risks, and risks from artificialintelligence. We have a strong focus on delivering social impact andpolicy change. Our expertise has been sought by European, Asian andAmerican governments, leading technology companies and the UnitedNations. Through our publications, expert workshops, andinternational conferences we have fostered a global community ofacademics, policy-makers and industry-leaders working to reduceexistential risk.

The Role

Global injustice can increase vulnerability to, and hamper recoveryfrom, global catastrophic risks. As the case of climate changehighlights, global injustice can shield those most responsible forcreating catastrophic risks from their immediate consequences, anddeny those who will be most affected by these risks the resourcesrequired for mitigation and adaptation. Furthermore, global injusticemay be supporting a system of economic and political institutionsthat are ill-equipped to solve these challenges, and that, forexample, contribute to unsustainable population growth and resourcedepletion. Global injustice and inequality can be precipitatingcauses, stress factors and early warning signs of global catastrophicrisk. We need to include justice and equity in our approach to riskmanagement.

Our research programme seeks to:

(i) study ways in which global inequality and injustice increasevulnerability to global catastrophic and existential risks;

(ii) work in collaboration with our partners to incorporatepopulation and economic growth, resource scarcity and global equityinto the overall evaluation of global policy and existential risk; and

(iii) develop a practical framework for global catastrophe justice,designed to complement existing guidance such as the Sendai Frameworkfor Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Research Associate will be encouraged to develop their own linesof enquiry within the role, and will work with a high degree ofindependence. We aim to build a passionate and engaging culture. Ourapproach encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, leading tocreativity, new research insights, and real social change.

Fixed term: Funding for this post is available until 30 September2023 in the first instance.

Responsibilities

- Conduct high-quality research, to be published as papers in leading academic journals.- Collaborate with other staff at CSER, contributing to our work across specific risk areas such as bio-risk, environmental risk and risks from transformative artificial intelligence, and to our research-led approaches to policy development.- Act as an ambassador for the Centre's research, engaging with scientific and technological communities, civil society, academics, policy-makers, industry collaborators and the public.

About you

Candidates will have:- Expertise relevant to the focus area, such as a PhD in a relevant field, or professional experience in a relevant area commensurate with the requirements of the role. We are open to applications from any disciplinary or professional background relevant to the management of global risk. We particularly encourage applications from those with a background in a field that produces empirical insights into the relation between global justice and environmental, technological, epidemiological or economic risks - and a strong interest in policy development; or a background in a policy relevant field - and a demonstrable understanding of global justice and its relation to risk.- Evidence of ability to work in collaborative environments, and the ability to engage with diverse communities of experts including academics across disciplines, industry partners, and policymakers.- Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.- Evidence of a serious research interest in the research focus areas of the Centre.- The inclination and the intellectual versatility to engage with a range of 'big-picture' questions, and the ability to pursue such questions in a rigorous way, integrating findings from different academic disciplines using a variety of analytic methods.